Posters soon transformed the thoroughfares of Paris, making the streets into what one contemporary called "the poor man’s picture gallery."[7] Their commercial success was such that some fine artists took up poster design in earnest. Some of these artists were, like Alphonse Mucha, in great demand and theatre stars personally selected their own favorite artist to do the poster for an upcoming performance. The popularity of poster art was such that in 1884 a major exhibition was held in Paris.